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Disposing of lancets when out and about.

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J

jhardisty

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
In Hong Kong the public does not have to dispose of sharps in a sharps bin. So at home and work I am using an old plastic bottle.

A quick question. How do people dispose of their lancets after they have used them if they are away from home? e.g. out for the night.
 
I change my lancets so rarely that it's never a problem for me. Also, the Accuchek lancets come in an enclosed drum so there are never any exposed sharp bits once the drum is removed. For needles, I usually just keep them with me, protecting the tip from exposure by replacing the plastic cap 🙂 You can get a needle clipper also, that removes and stores the needle point in a little holder like a small stapling machine 🙂 http://www.bd.com/us/diabetes/page.aspx?cat=7002&id=7416
 
My son uses the Accu-chek Fastclix lancets which are contained in a drum so no visible sharps to dispose of there, so no problem disposing when out. In the early days when he had a more basic finger pricker with individual lancets, he would just put the protective cap back on and leave it in the pouch supplied with his meter then put it in his sharps bin (or plastic bottle in your case) when he got home.

When going away for a few days last summer with his friend, I found Amazon sold a mini sharps bin so bought that for safety whilst away with another family. I think the lid on that opens and closes but never permanently locks, so you can empty it into another container when home and re-use as and when needed. That would be too big to take with you on a night out, but ideal for a weekend away though.
 
I use the one touch ultra meters so just use an empty strip container for lancets and used strips. It's then emptied when I arrive home.
 
A couple of suggestions:
(1) choose lancets than have caps that can be replaced after use, so they look different from unused lancets - then you can keep them in the same place as unused ones
(2) 35mm film pots make good improvised small "sharps bins"
(3) no need to leave used lancets anywhere when out and about; take home for disposal
 
You can change your lancet? :D

I've had lancets last me entire YEARS without a problem.

Seriously though, you don't need to change your lancet so often that a night out is a problem - just leave it in until you're back home again.
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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